Window-cleaner



M. E. RYAN.

I III W' L I i 371%! cfiifi wfiw j :1 I II Patented Sept. 2, 1919.-

MILLIE E. RYAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-CLEANER Spccification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 9, 1918. Serial No. 253,169.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILLIE E. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices to be used for cleaning the glass panes of windows, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and. operation of the various parts thereof, as 'will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

. The principal object ofthe invention is to provide a cleaner for windows, which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and efficient in operation, and so made as to be particularly adapted for cleaning the panes of both the upper and lower sashes of windows without the necessity of the operator getting outside'of the window-frame. Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaner or polisher for windows or other flat surfaces, such as the walls and ceilings ofrooms, the tops of tables and the walls offurniture, which can be operated manually, orwhen necessary, by means of a detachable handle. Still another object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for readily securing over the rubbing face'of the body of the cleaner a piece of cloth orsimilarmaterial in such a manner that it can be easilyde tached therefrom for the purpose of being washed or renewed. A still further and important object is to furnish acleaner of such compactness or dimensions, especially in thickness, as to permit of its insertion and effective operation between and on the adjacent surfaces of the window panes when they are placed inparallelism by raising the lower sash onlowering the upperone in the operation of cleaning the windows.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will bedisclosed in the sub-joined description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawing which serves to illustrate an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is aface view of the rear surface of the cleaner showing a portion of line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 3 i a detached perspective view of a portion of the handle showing a modifica tionin the means of securing it to the holder or holding plate therefor, and also illustrating a modification in the construction of St1d;l'l0ld81 or plate. a

Like numerals of reference refer to the corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawing. a

The reference numeral 5 designates the body of the cleaner, which body may be made of any suitable: size, form and material, but preferably substantially rectangular in shape as shown, and of metal. The body plate 5 is by preference formed in its perimeter or edges with a groove 6 for the reception of a wire? which is extended entirely around the plate or body 5 and is securely held in place thereon by means of the groove 6 in which it is located, and by having its ends united or twisted together as shownat 8, Fig. 1 of the drawlng. In said view it will be observed that the body or plate 5 is provided at each of its corners with a cut out portion 9 and intermediate of its corners with similar cut out portions. At each of said out out portions the border wire 7 is formedinto an inwardly extended loop each of "which has its inner end pointedas shown. Each of said loops is bent outwardly from the plate or body 5 near the juncture of the loop with the wire 7 and then toward said body with its free end turned outwardly therefrom, thus forming spring piercing hooks or loops 10 for holding the cleaning or polishing cloth or material 11 in its operative position onthe body 5 of the cleaner. The rear surface of the body or plate 5, or that sur face opposite the surface adjacent to the windowpane orother surface to be cleaned,

is provided with a number of projections 12 and 13, the projections 12. being located in a parallel line with each other on one sideof the longitudinal: axis of the body 5 and the projectionsl3 being located on a parallel line on the other side of said axis. About midway between one of the projections 12 and one ofthe projections 13 the body. or plate5 lisprovided on its rear surface with another projection 14 which is substantially semicircular in shape and hasits straight edge presented toward the center the body 1 5 same clearly shown in Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

' Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Pivotally mounted on the projection 14 is a button or catch 15 which is used to hold one end of the'handle plate 16 or holder for the handle in position on the body of the cleaner near the projections 12 and 13 opposite the projection 14, the body or plate 5 is provided with a pair of openings 17, which, as shown are spaced apart and are located between the parallel lines on which the projections 12 and 13 are arranged. The openings 17 are inclined from the rear surface of the body 5 toward its end adjacent thereto and are forthe reception of a'pair of arms or proor-handle holder 16 is provided. Thearms 18 are curved or inclined from the plate 16 to correspond with theinclination of the openings 17 in which they fit so as to hold the end of the plate v16 opposite the projection 14 securely and in close contact projection 21 of the handle 22 so as to pivotally secure the hand-1e to the plate 16 or holdertherefor.

By the foregoing arrangement and construction it is apparent that the projectlons 18 on the plate 16 can beplaced in the openings 17 and the said plate can then be placed between the projections 12 and 13 and firmly locked in position by means of the catch 15 on the projection 14 which latter projection with the projections 18 and openings 17 will prevent longitudinal movement of the plate 16 or handleholder-while the projections 12 and 13 will prevent lateral movement thereof.

- When the parts ofthe device are made.

of metal the projections'12, 13 and 14 may be made integral with the body 5 by a stamping process, and it is obvious that the projections19 on the plate 16 as well as the projection 21 on the handle 22 can be made integrally with said parts. It'is further apparent that the projections 19 and the projection 21 when'so made will lie in sub stantially the same plane-with the plate 16 thus offering no additional thickness to said plate or holder.

In Fig. 3 of the "drawing I have shown a modification in the construction of the plate holder and in the manner of securing the handle 22 thereto which consists in employinga hinge 23 for pivotally uniting the handle to the plate 16 which hinge is countersunk in-both the plate andi the handle so as to reduce to a minimum the thicknessof said parts. In this modification vwhichis particularly intended when the parts are made of wood a pair of projections or'arm 18 are jections 1 8 with which one end of the plate fastened to the rear surface of the plate 16 near one of its ends by means of screvs instead of being made integrally with said plate as in the other construction. The projections 1S are of substantially the same shape or inclination as the projections 18 in the first above described construction and are used for engaging the openings 17 in the body 5 of the cleaner. It will be noticed that the body 5 is provided with a transverse recess 24 which is employed to receive a strap 25 of strong cloth or leather, which strap is secured at its ends to the body 5 near its side edges, and is designed as a holder for the device when it is desired to manually operate it, or to-dispense with the handle and its plate. It is obvious that by placing the hand between the strap 25 and the body 5' the device can be readily manipulated for cleaning or polishing furniture and the like.

The cloth or cleaning material should be of such size as to cover the entire front face of the body and permit its edges to overlap the edges of the body on its rear surface and to be engaged or held by the spring piercing loops 10 of the border wire, which loops can be readily forced through the cloth near its edges as is obvious. The cloth or cleaning material will, of course, possess considerable elasticity, thus enabling it to 9 be Stretched over the front face of the body when the. piercing loops are being forced through the same near its edges. After this has been done, that portion of the cleaning material located on the front face of the body will contract or shrink. thus preventing undue wrinkling or sagging thereof.

By providing the body 5 with the cut away portions 9 and locating said cut away parts in spaced relation, and by placing the serpentine shaped spring loops 10 so as to extend-inwardly of the cut away portions 1131s manifest that the cleaning cloth or material 11 will be securely held by said sprlngs and cut away portions against movement on the body in the operation of the cleaner.

Instead of providing the rear surface of thebody 5 with the transverse depression or recess 24 for the reception of the strap 25, the same may be omitted and the handle plate 16 maybe provided with a transverse recess 26 on its surface adjacent to the body 5 for the reception of said strap.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- --1. In a window cleaner, the combination with a flat faced body, of a handle secured thereto, a wire located on the border of the body and having spaced apart inwardly extended loops, and a cleaning cloth covering the front face of the body and overlapping the edges thereof and engaged by said loops.

2. In a window cleaner, the combination with a flat faced body having a groove in its periphery and provided in its edges with spaced apart cut-away portions, of a handle secured to the rear face of the body at about its middle, a Wire located in said groove on the border of the body and having spaced apart and inwardly extended piercing and clamping loops located at said cutaway portions, and a cleaning cloth covering the front face of the body and over- 10 lapping the edges thereof and pierced and clamped by said loops.

MILLIE E. RYAN. Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN,

O. CASEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

